Information processing apparatus, system, and method that estimates time for a user to travel from departure location to destination location based on stop information of other users at facilities on a route to the destination location

Abstract

An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes an acquisition unit, an estimation unit, and a provision unit. The acquisition unit acquires stop information concerning a situation of a stop of a user at a facility on a route from a place of departure to a place of destination. The estimation unit estimates an amount of time required to the place of destination, based on the stop information that is acquired by the acquisition unit. The provision unit provides a content that is based on the amount of time required that is estimated by the estimation unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
 a computer having a hardware processor and a memory, the hardware processor being configured to:
 acquire stop information about a plurality of users that are moving from a place of departure to a place of destination along a route having one or more facilities between the place of departure and the place of destination, the plurality of users including a first user, the stop information indicating a number of the plurality of users, other than the first user, that have stopped at the one or more facilities on the route from the place of departure to the place of destination; 
 estimate an amount of time required for the first user to reach the place of destination from a current location of the first user, based on the stop information that has been acquired, the amount of time being estimated by (i) dividing the route into a plurality of sections, (ii) determining a time to be spent in each of the plurality of sections based on the stop information, and (iii) estimating the amount of time required for the first user to reach the place of destination from the current location of the first user by summing the determined time to be spent in each of the plurality of sections from the current location of the first user to the place of destination; and 
 transmit, to the first user, data indicating the amount of time that has been estimated, wherein 
 the stop information is obtained from at least image data obtained by one or more stationary cameras installed at least at the one or more facilities on the route from the place of departure to the place of destination. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the hardware processor is configured to acquire the stop information from the image data which includes one or more images obtained by the one or more stationary cameras installed at least at the one or more facilities on the route from the place of departure to the place of destination. 
 
     
     
       3. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the hardware processor is configured to acquire the stop information based on a monitored usage of one or more bonuses, by the plurality of users other than the first user, at the one or more facilities. 
 
     
     
       4. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the stop information includes information of an amount of staying time at the one or more facilities and that is dependent on a type of the one or more facilities, and 
 the hardware processor is configured to estimate the amount of time required for the first user to reach the place of destination based on the amount of staying time. 
 
     
     
       5. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the hardware processor is further configured to acquire the stop information based on positional information of one or more mobile terminal devices possessed by the plurality of users other than the first user. 
 
     
     
       6. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the place of destination is a transportation facility, and 
 the hardware processor is configured to estimate the amount of time required for the first user to reach the place of destination to include an amount of waiting time that is needed within the transportation facility before the first user departs the transportation facility on a transportation vehicle that the first user boards at the transportation facility. 
 
     
     
       7. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the transportation facility is a train station, and 
 the hardware processor is configured to estimate the amount of time required for each travel destination of a train that departs from the train station. 
 
     
     
       8. An information processing system, comprising:
 the information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ; and 
 a terminal device that is possessed by the first user, the terminal device including a display that displays a message indicating the amount of time that has been estimated for the first user to reach the place of destination from the current location of the first user based on the data transmitted by the information processing apparatus. 
 
     
     
       9. An information processing method executed by a hardware processor of a computer having the hardware processor and memory, the method comprising:
 acquiring stop information about a plurality of users that are moving from a place of departure to a place of destination along a route having one or more facilities between the place of departure and the place of destination, the plurality of users including a first user, the stop information indicating a number of the plurality of users, other than the first user, that have stopped at the one or more facilities on the route from the place of departure to the place of destination; 
 estimating an amount of time required for the first user to reach the place of destination from a current location of the first user, based on the stop information that has been acquired, the amount of time being estimated by (i) dividing the route into a plurality of sections, (ii) determining a time to be spent in each of the plurality of sections based on the stop information, and (iii) estimating the amount of time required for the first user to reach the place of destination from the current location of the first user by summing the determined time to be spent in each of the plurality of sections from the current location of the first user to the place of destination; and 
 transmitting, to the first user, data indicating the amount of time that has been estimated, wherein 
 the stop information is obtained by the hardware processor via a communication interface of the computer that is coupled to the hardware processor and receives the stop information via a network as at least image data obtained by one or more stationary cameras installed at least at the one or more facilities on the route from the place of departure to the place of destination. 
 
     
     
       10. An information processing apparatus comprising:
 a computer having a hardware processor and a memory, the hardware processor being configured to:
 acquire stop information about a plurality of users that are moving from a place of departure to a place of destination along a route having one or more facilities between the place of departure and the place of destination, the plurality of users including a first user, the stop information indicating a number of the plurality of users, other than the first user, that have stopped at the one or more facilities on the route from the place of departure to the place of destination; 
 estimate an amount of time required for the first user to reach the place of destination from a current location of the first user, based on the stop information that has been acquired, the amount of time being estimated by (i) dividing the route into a plurality of sections, (ii) determining a time to be spent in each of the plurality of sections based on the stop information, and (iii) estimating the amount of time required for the first user to reach the place of destination from the current location of the first user by summing the determined time to be spent in each of the plurality of sections from the current location of the first user to the place of destination; and 
 transmit, to the first user, data indicating the amount of time that has been estimated, wherein 
 the stop information is obtained from at least one of: (a) image data obtained by one or more cameras installed on the route from the place of departure to the place of destination, and (b) positional information of one or more mobile terminal devices possessed by the plurality of users other than the first user, and 
 the stop information is further acquired based on a monitored usage of one or more bonuses, by the plurality of users other than the first user, at the one or more facilities where the one or more bonuses are coupons that are provided to the plurality of users other than the first user by the one or more facilities. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the one or more facilities is a place of business. 
 
     
     
       12. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the place of destination is a transportation facility, and 
 the place of departure is an event facility or a location between the event facility and the transportation facility. 
 
     
     
       13. The information processing method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 each of the one or more facilities is a place of business. 
 
     
     
       14. The information processing method according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the place of destination is a transportation facility, and 
 the place of departure is an event facility or a location between the event facility and the transportation facility. 
 
     
     
       15. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein
 each of the one or more facilities is a place of business. 
 
     
     
       16. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein
 the place of destination is a transportation facility, and 
 the place of departure is an event facility or a location between the event facility and the transportation facility.